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A Household Book of English Poetry: Selected and Arranged with Notes — John Shaqi

A Household Book of English Poetry: Selected and Arranged with Notes

General

A Household Book of English Poetry: Selected and Arranged with Notes

American poetry; English poetry

Now Arthur-Seat shall be my bed,
      The sheets shall ne’er be prest by me,
    Saint Anton’s well shall be my drink,
      Since my true Love’s forsaken me.                               20
    Martinmas wind, when wilt thou blaw,
      And shake the green leaves off the tree?
    O gentle Death! when wilt thou come?
      For of my life I am wearie.

    ’Tis not the frost that freezes fell,                             25
      Nor blawing snaw’s inclemency;
    ’Tis not sic cauld that makes me cry,
      But my Love’s heart grown cauld to me.
    When we came in by Glasgow town,
      We were a comely sight to see;                                  30
    My Love was clad in the black velvet,
      And I mysel’ in cramasie.

    But had I wist, before I kissed,
      That love had been sae ill to win,
    I’d locked my heart in a case of gowd,                            35
      And pinned it with a siller pin.
    And oh! if my young babe were born,
      And set upon the nurse’s knee,
    And I mysel’ were dead and gane,
      With the green grass growing over me!                           40
              _Anon._




LXXIV

_BURD HELEN._


    I wish I were where Helen lies;
    Night and day on me she cries;
    Oh that I were where Helen lies
        On fair Kirconnell lea!

    Curst be the heart that thought the thought,                       5
    And curst the hand that fired the shot,
    When in my arms burd Helen dropt,
        And died to succour me!

    Oh think na but my heart was sair,
    When my Love dropt down and spak nae mair!                        10
    I laid her down wi’ meikle care
        On fair Kirconnell lea.

    As I went down the water-side,
    None but my foe to be my guide,
    None but my foe to be my guide,                                   15
        On fair Kirconnell lea;

    I lighted down my sword to draw,
    I hackèd him in pieces sma’,
    I hackèd him in pieces sma’,
        For her sake that died for me.                                20

    O Helen fair, beyond compare!
    I’ll make a garland of thy hair
    Shall bind my heart for evermair
        Until the day I die.

    Oh that I were where Helen lies!                                  25
    Night and day on me she cries;
    Out of my bed she bids me rise,
        Says, ‘Haste and come to me!’

    O Helen fair! O Helen chaste!
    If I were with thee, I were blest,                                30
    Where thou lies low and takes thy rest
        On fair Kirconnell lea.

    I wish my grave were growing green,
    A winding-sheet drawn ower my een,
    And I in Helen’s arms lying,                                      35
        On fair Kirconnell lea.

    I wish I were where Helen lies:
    Night and day on me she cries;
    And I am weary of the skies,
        Since my Love died for me.                                    40
              _Anon._




LXXV

_LOVE’S ENTERPRISE._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A Household Book of English Poetry: Selected and Arranged with Notes

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